Electrophoresis is the translation of charged objects in a fluid in response to an electric field. Electrophoretic inks are useful as a medium to enable bistable, low power types of displays. Electrophoretic displays have been developed using a clear fluid with two differently colored particles of opposite charge (e.g., positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles) sandwiched between parallel electrodes on top and bottom substrates. When the electrode on the viewing side is charged negatively, the positively charged white particles are translated to the viewing surface, and the display appears white. When the electrode on the viewing side is charged positively, the negatively charged black particles are translated to the viewing surface, and the display appears black. A transparent state can be enabled by “in-plane” electrophoretic displays, in which electrodes are arranged to apply electric fields that are substantially parallel to the substrates to translate colorant particles through a clear fluid parallel to the substrates. This allows the colorant particles to be collected out of the viewing area of the display to create a transparent state. While electrophoresis enables electronic switching, conventional applications that use electrophoretic inks have been hampered by limited mobility and hydrodynamic instability. Using transparent conductor layers on both sides of an electro-optical display incorporating out of plane electrodes may reduce the optical contrast due to absorption in the transparent conductor layers. In addition, there is an increased cost associated with a transparent conductor coated substrate.